Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to an entertainment device and in particular to an entertainment device which allows a player to rearrange the combinations of a plurality of moveable pieces. It also relates to a mechanism for providing independent movement of spherical surface members and applications thereof.
2. Description of Prior Art
Intellectual entertainment toys are available in the market which require the players to achieve a desired result or win the game. Prior art includes puzzles formed by intersecting defined circular members each of which is rotatable about its center and each of which comprises a plurality of discrete pieces formed by intersecting arcs of the members (Fisher a U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,040; Cohan at U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,783; Morosow at U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,126). All of the above inventions disclose devices where circular members are substantially planar and axes of rotation are mutually parallel. Moreover, they require a frame for guiding and limiting the movement of the circular members.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an entertainment device of intellectual, educational and amusing character formed by intersecting defined conical members and where the moveable elements travel onto a spherical surface. Furthermore, the present invention discloses a device that exhibits a novel ad simple kinematics and requires simplified structure, or frame, for supporting and guiding the moving elements, the working principle being applicable to both spherical and planar embodiments.
Another object is to provide a mechanism for altering the relative orientation of different items of apparatus on the surface of a spherical object.
The following description will emphasize an entertainment device but the correspondence between these devices and the engineering problems of altering the relation between instruments onto a spherical base should be recalled throughout.
To achieve the above objects, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a device comprising a plurality of triangular members, a plurality of pentagonal members, a plurality of arcuate movable pieces and a base for rotatably supporting said triangular and pentagonal members. The respective axes of rotation of said triangular and pentagonal members intersect at a common point representing the center of the exterior spherical surface of the device. The triangular and the pentagonal members are symmetrically disposed with regards to said center, wherein each triangular member is surrounded by three pentagonal members, and each pentagonal member is surrounded by five triangular members. Moveable pieces are disposed and slidably attached in the areas between a triangular and a neighboring pentagonal member, wherein a subsequent rotation of the triangular and pentagonal members results in changing the disposal of the moveable pieces relative to the center.